Friday question answered

On Friday I asked readers if they wanted to see others enter the Republican presidential primary race. Do conservatives want to see New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan, former Alaska governor Sarah Palin or someone else in the race?

A number of commenters wanted to see all three mix it up. Eddiehaskell spoke for those who’d like to see a full assortment of candidates:

I would like to see all three run. Gov. Christie has a certain frankness that Americans can understand. He speaks his mind and is unafraid. He says what needs to be said and is a deficit hawk, which is what is needed now. He is electable and can beat Obama. Paul Ryan is the best candidate. He has total command of the budget and understands the financial problems of Medicare and Medicaid. He is smart and has a look that people will have confidence in. . . . Ryan would have a landslide victory over Obama especially if Marco Rubio runs as VP. I would like to see Sarah Palin run because she has guts and the left-wing media hate her so much it would drive them crazy. It would be quite a show. She would have a tough time beating the inept Obama.

As would be expected, a number of fervent Palin fans responded. Stevendufresne touts her personal qualities and experience: “She is unconventional, groundbreaking, self-made, genuine and devoted. . . . She cut budgets when she had surpluses, increased energy production, created jobs, improved the credit rating of her state, forward funded education and pensions, reformed a tax system, took on corruption and waste in government, and governed with a strong bipartisan coalition.” However, Palin also drew the most negative remarks. (NYJA: “ Sarah Palin has no chance of winning. She should save herself and the rest of us the trouble and stay out of the election.” Stvcar: “The one I would least like to see run is Palin. Although I am sympathetic to her for the way she has been treated, and a small part of which she has brought on herself, she is not qualified to be presidential.”)

The most frequently named candidate, however, was Ryan. Two commenters gave the best case for his candidacy. Zoltan Newberry writes:

Somebody has to be the second president elected from the House. Ryan is the perfect 0bama foil. He is patient and kind while Obama is brittle and testy. He is utterly genuine while Obama is phony. Ryan is the boy next door, the guy you can count on. People respond warmly to him. Paul Ryan is low-key and likable while the current WH occupant is high-strung, high-maintenance and extremely arrogant. Ryan has great intellectual credentials and has always been an authentic conservative thinker. His relative youth would contrast nicely with our hapless president’s tired, old act. I think Ryan could get out there and impress voters as a modern version of Abraham Lincoln, and, God knows, we really need a person like that, somebody who is authentic, somebody who is the real deal.

The StatistQuo adds:

He is the future. All but four House Republicans are on record in support of Ryan’s “Path to Prosperity.” No Republican presidential candidate has a pro -growth, tax reform, budget reform, assertive foreign policy agenda, who though he is a social conservative does not wear his social conservatism on his sleeve. He showed poise and adroitness in the post-“Path to Prosperity” town meetings in Wisconsin.

He has already bested Obama in the impromptu Obamacare debate in Baltimore and would be unfazed sharing a debate stage with Obama. He will be welcome by both Beltway AND Tea Party Republicans. He has the intellectual heft to confidently defend his and his party’s positions. And being young, Ryan defies the stereotype of Republican leaders like Reagan, Dole, McCain, who were a tad long in the tooth when they were nominated. I believe, throwing granny off the cliff notwithstanding, Paul Ryan is Barack Obama’s worst nightmare.

We’ll find out soon enough which, if any candidates, jump in late. If nothing else, one or all of these candidates would add excitement to the race, making the rest of the field look a little stale.

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Comments our editors find particularly useful or relevant are displayed in Top Comments, as are comments by users with these badges: . Replies to those posts appear here, as well as posts by staff writers.